People spread a lot of information about smartphone and laptop batteries these days, but we get a lot of mixed messages, some of which are just incorrect. Here's how to take care of your battery for the best battery life possible.

Battery-centric web site Battery University explains the real relationship behind battery life and charging. Lithium-ion batteries—the batteries present in most modern smartphones and laptops—don't need to be fully discharged every once in a while to retain battery life, as many of us have been told. In fact, it's quite the opposite:

Similar to a mechanical device that wears out faster with heavy use, so also does the depth of discharge (DoD) determine the cycle count. The smaller the depth of discharge, the longer the battery will last. If at all possible, avoid frequent full discharges and charge more often between uses. If full discharges cannot be avoided, try utilizing a larger battery. Partial discharge on Li-ion is fine; there is no memory and the battery does not need periodic full discharge cycles other than to calibrate the fuel gauge on a smart battery.

Of course, once you've charged it to 100%, you don't want to keep your laptop plugged in all the time, either. Keeping it plugged in while it's already at a full charge can bring the life down. They also give a lot of other useful battery tips, like making sure you keep it cool: high temperatures can deplete its life, so you don't want to store it in a hot car or keep it running resource-intensive tasks for long periods of time. It's a very interesting article, and something anyone with a laptop or smartphone should definitely read—especially if you haven't been nice to your battery thus far. Hit the link to to check it out, and be sure to check out other ways to maximize your laptop or smartphone's battery, too. Photo by Andy Melton.